Offa: ACN, PDP quarrel over judges’ composition

The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State have disagreed over the composition of judges for the hearing of the Offa Local Government election petition appeal.

The ACN alleged that the composition favoured the PDP.

But the PDP said it has “absolute confidence in the ability of the panel to do justice and not in any way in doubt in the sincerity of the membership as presently constituted”.

ACN Chairman Kayode Olawepo said: “The PDP, being the beneficiary of such anomaly, we don’t expect the party to be objective or rational in its reaction. The sabre-rattling is, therefore, expected – and it is true to type. We are glad that after much shadow-boxing, the PDP at last admitted that only two judges are hearing that petition, claiming the third person has been away on a medical trip abroad.

“Clearly, as is also detectable from the PDP statement, the judge has not been sitting on the panel. Now, if the two judges sitting have cause to disagree on the petitions before them, whose opinion becomes the majority decision, as must be the case in time of dissension? This clearly defeats the puerile and suspicious defence the PDP has mounted.

“Interesting enough is the fact that the PDP was silent on our allegation that the panel has been granting only applications brought by the PDP while turning down ACN’s. This speaks for itself.

“On defection, the PDP spokesman was probably on the Mars when Prince Saheed Popoola openly dismissed claims of his so-called defection and reaffirmed his membership of ACN.”

In a statement by PDP Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Mas’ud Adebimpe, the party said: “As an interested party, the session was properly constituted as provided for by the law and they should disregard the unpatriotic and unfounded claim.

“To put the record straight, the panel was not only properly constituted but was made up of three eminent judges whose credibility and ability were not in any way doubtful.

“The third member, Justice E. B. Muhammad, in our investigation, was confirmed through the authority concerned to have travelled out of the country for an urgent medical check-up.

“The law, however, does not prescribe a quorum that disqualifies the two judges from sitting and hearing the case, if the third member was not available.

“As a party, we challenge ACN to show where the law prescribes the disqualification of the session on the ground of a member who is legally absent from the session.”